Why Talking to Strangers is Good For Your Mental Health

“Social connection is a health behavior, like eating an apple or getting enough sleep,” - Hanne Collins, a PhD student in organizational behavior at Harvard University.

Earlier this year Collins published the results of a study that looked at the variety of types of social interactions an individual has over the course of the day — what she calls “relational diversity” — and whether it affects our physical, emotional and mental health.

Let’s say you have eight conversations in a given day. If six of those conversations are with co-workers and two are with a romantic partner, that represents low relational diversity. If instead you have two conversations with co-workers, two with friends, one with a neighbor while walking the dog, one with a barista at a coffee shop, one with a romantic partner, and one with your mom, then you’ve just had what Collins calls a relationally diverse day.

After analyzing the social interactions of more than 50,000 people, Collins found that the number of times a person had a social interaction was a significant predictor of well being, and also, that a higher amount of diversity among those interactions predicted higher well-being over all.

The hitch

Collins’ research suggests that we should all start talking to strangers more, or at least making more of an effort to connect with people we see frequently but don’t really know. But while being friendly and chatting up strangers is second nature for some, most people are uncomfortable starting conversations with people they don’t know.

Nicholas Epley is a professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago‘s Booth School of Business who studies our reluctance to talk to each other. His and others’ research has shown that people systemically underestimate how much they will enjoy a conversation with a stranger, and how likely it is that the stranger will enjoy the conversation too.

So what can we do?

In the days before smartphones, online ordering and contactless delivery, diversifying our interactions by chatting with people outside our immediate social circle of close family and friends was much easier, if almost unavoidable.

The good news is that there are simple steps you can take if you want to increase the diversity of your interactions on a regular basis.

Take advantage of easy opportunities to strike up conversations with new people whenever they present themselves.

If the idea of engaging a stranger on the sidewalk feels too frightening, you might also consider joining an activity group like a book club or a hiking group instead."

Read the full article on the Los Angeles Times

✨Takeaway: There are benefits to tightening ties with your closest and dearest. However, interacting with strangers has its advantages as well. Fostering relationship diversity and facilitating those other connections has values and should not be overlooked.

✨Reflection: What are your thoughts on talking to strangers more often?

#Wellbeing #MentalHealth #Strangers #Wellness #Socializing